A man has been released on bail after being charged with stealing donations for tsunami relief.

Twenty-four-year-old Matthew Schmieder, who is accused of sending emails purporting to be from a genuine aid organization, was arrested last week. According to reports from the Associated Press, he is said to have planned to use the money to repair his car.

In the emails, Schmieder is said to have requested that donations be sent to a PayPal account.

The FBI was alerted after Mercy Corps (the aid organisation Schmieder is alleged to have posed as) received complaints about the emails.